I Thought that Rynearson Stadium deserved its own thread. Besides needing a great football team to get our program rolling, we absolutely need a new stadium. There is not one great FBS team that plays its football games with a track around the field because it separates the fans from the excitement. I remember hearing a decade ago that Rynearson was getting upgraded and I assumed that the new field be adjacent to the field. I was so disappointed when I saw that EMU admin gave direction to spend millions of dollars upgrading the facility but left the track around the field. Are you kidding me? I bet Jim Stapleton had a hand in that decision.

At any rate, I went to watch Toledo vs Missouri last weekend and even the Missouri fans loved their stadium. Although I was pulling for a MAC victory the atmosphere was incredible because I was about 15 feet from the players and you could feel the electricity.

We have a template for success about 7 miles from us do instead of building a large visitors side, we should have made a 25k smaller bowl like the big house.

Listen if we can't afford a venue for track located away from our football field, we should move to DII. I believe the track sums it up on what EMU feels about football (not a priority).

When the basketball team played in Bowen we had far more success than at the Convo. Other than the track, which puts distance between fans and field, Rynearson is fine.

(09-08-2014 05:54 PM)luckeyone1 Wrote:  I Thought that Rynearson Stadium deserved its own thread. Besides needing a great football team to get our program rolling, we absolutely need a new stadium. There is not one great FBS team that plays its football games with a track around the field because it separates the fans from the excitement. I remember hearing a decade ago that Rynearson was getting upgraded and I assumed that the new field be adjacent to the field. I was so disappointed when I saw that EMU admin gave direction to spend millions of dollars upgrading the facility but left the track around the field. Are you kidding me? I bet Jim Stapleton had a hand in that decision.

At any rate, I went to watch Toledo vs Missouri last weekend and even the Missouri fans loved their stadium. Although I was pulling for a MAC victory the atmosphere was incredible because I was about 15 feet from the players and you could feel the electricity.

We have a template for success about 7 miles from us do instead of building a large visitors side, we should have made a 25k smaller bowl like the big house.

Listen if we can't afford a venue for track located away from our football field, we should move to DII. I believe the track sums it up on what EMU feels about football (not a priority).

I agree, Rynearson is a cement dump.

Rynearson Stadium is the #1 reason for EMU football futility. It hurts recruiting which hurts performance and quite frankly, it is an awful place to watch a football game. There is no college football atmosphere to speak of.

Ideally, you'd want a new, smaller bowl stadium right on campus but EMU has to have the tiniest campus in DI. If we could jam a stadium on the north side of campus, it would fix a myriad of problems.

Put down the crack pipe and step away.

How about we create a long standing successful football program and then think about building a new stadium.


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(09-08-2014 07:14 PM)HuronRob Wrote:  Put down the crack pipe and step away.

How about we create a long standing successful football program and then think about building a new stadium.


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Rob, because it is impossible given the circumstances. How many more years will it take before you realize this?

(09-08-2014 06:37 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(09-08-2014 05:54 PM)luckeyone1 Wrote:  I Thought that Rynearson Stadium deserved its own thread. Besides needing a great football team to get our program rolling, we absolutely need a new stadium. There is not one great FBS team that plays its football games with a track around the field because it separates the fans from the excitement. I remember hearing a decade ago that Rynearson was getting upgraded and I assumed that the new field be adjacent to the field. I was so disappointed when I saw that EMU admin gave direction to spend millions of dollars upgrading the facility but left the track around the field. Are you kidding me? I bet Jim Stapleton had a hand in that decision.

At any rate, I went to watch Toledo vs Missouri last weekend and even the Missouri fans loved their stadium. Although I was pulling for a MAC victory the atmosphere was incredible because I was about 15 feet from the players and you could feel the electricity.

We have a template for success about 7 miles from us do instead of building a large visitors side, we should have made a 25k smaller bowl like the big house.

Listen if we can't afford a venue for track located away from our football field, we should move to DII. I believe the track sums it up on what EMU feels about football (not a priority).

I agree, Rynearson is a cement dump.

Rynearson is Ypsilant's answer to the Hudson plant.

(09-08-2014 07:56 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(09-08-2014 06:37 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(09-08-2014 05:54 PM)luckeyone1 Wrote:  I Thought that Rynearson Stadium deserved its own thread. Besides needing a great football team to get our program rolling, we absolutely need a new stadium. There is not one great FBS team that plays its football games with a track around the field because it separates the fans from the excitement. I remember hearing a decade ago that Rynearson was getting upgraded and I assumed that the new field be adjacent to the field. I was so disappointed when I saw that EMU admin gave direction to spend millions of dollars upgrading the facility but left the track around the field. Are you kidding me? I bet Jim Stapleton had a hand in that decision.

At any rate, I went to watch Toledo vs Missouri last weekend and even the Missouri fans loved their stadium. Although I was pulling for a MAC victory the atmosphere was incredible because I was about 15 feet from the players and you could feel the electricity.

We have a template for success about 7 miles from us do instead of building a large visitors side, we should have made a 25k smaller bowl like the big house.

Listen if we can't afford a venue for track located away from our football field, we should move to DII. I believe the track sums it up on what EMU feels about football (not a priority).

I agree, Rynearson is a cement dump.

Rynearson is Ypsilant's answer to the Hudson plant.

It's the Flintstone's stone quarry. Mr. Slate was the architect.

Food for thought, if we constantly avg. crowds in the higher half of the MAC would the stadium still be an issue we make it out to be now ?

The fact of the matter is this - even if we had the sweetest stadium in the entire world of NCAA football, and our football team performed the way it has the last 20 years, we still wouldn't get a decent crowd. It isn't the stadium that draws the fans it's the team.

If I were able to donate the millions it would take to build a new stadium I wouldn't do it until and unless EMU could prove to me that it was a wise investment. I would need to see a long term commitment to fielding an excellent program and proven success. If I could do it I would offer the money as a carrot to the university. Show me what this program can be and I will donate X number of dollars.

If I ever win the Mega Millions remind me of this thread

(09-08-2014 08:37 PM)realistEagle Wrote:  Food for thought, if we constantly avg. crowds in the higher half of the MAC would the stadium still be an issue we make it out to be now ?

It would be less of an issue but I don't see that happening. Instead, I think it is a major reason why we don't draw crowds in the upper half of the MAC. The problem is we blew our wad on the gray turf, we are now married to that decision for awhile. Basically those in charge are acknowledging the obvious; we know this is one ugly cement stadium but it's the factory! All factories are ugly but we are a blue collar team, we are taking ownership of it. [/b]

(09-08-2014 08:48 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  It would be less of an issue but I don't see that happening. Instead, I think it is a major reason why we don't draw crowds in the upper half of the MAC. The problem is we blew our wad on the gray turf, we are now married to that decision for awhile. Basically those in charge are acknowledging the obvious; we know this is one ugly cement stadium but it's the factory! All factories are ugly but we are a blue collar team, we are taking ownership of it.

Doesn't really matter. If we had a good football team the stadium wouldn't even be an issue. We could tear the whole damn thing down and build a stadium the size of Ferris State's stadium and we still wouldn't fill it.

This whole thread is nothing more than a diversion from the real issue - we have an inferior football team and that is the truth regardless if the stadium is outstanding or not. How about we do this - put together a team that wins the MAC year in and year out and then talk about what stadium improvements are necessary? How about we fill the stadium to capacity, until it's bursting at the seams, and then talk about improving the stadium we have?

This isn't directed at you Bob but more of a general statement about the thread. EMU has a lot more things to worry about with regard to football than Rynearson Stadium.

(09-08-2014 07:45 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(09-08-2014 07:14 PM)HuronRob Wrote:  Put down the crack pipe and step away.

How about we create a long standing successful football program and then think about building a new stadium.


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Rob, because it is impossible given the circumstances. How many more years will it take before you realize this?

So, it would be better to build a new stadium that is the home for an inferior football team?

(09-08-2014 09:42 PM)HuronRob Wrote:  

(09-08-2014 07:45 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(09-08-2014 07:14 PM)HuronRob Wrote:  Put down the crack pipe and step away.

How about we create a long standing successful football program and then think about building a new stadium.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Rob, because it is impossible given the circumstances. How many more years will it take before you realize this?

So, it would be better to build a new stadium that is the home for an inferior football team?

Rob, you're missing my point. It's a cause and effect situation. My theory is if we had an attractive stadium on campus or closer to campus, we would than draw larger crowds which would in turn attract better players, which would produce successful football teams, which would have a positive impact overall on campus and throughout the state. Having a good football team does wonders for the image of a school. I know, I've gone to job interviews where the only thing the person knew about EMU is that it is awful in football and possibly unsafe.

We wouldn't fill the stadium even if it was right in the middle of campus. People don't want to watch a bad team.

Rob is right...winning solves everything. You can put lipstick on a pig all you want, but people generally aren't that gullible.

(09-08-2014 09:56 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  My theory is if we had an attractive stadium on campus or closer to campus, we would than draw larger crowds

West campus should not be disconnected from the rest of campus. If money were not an issue this is what I would suggest to bring more life to West Campus.

1. Knock down the crappy outdated Freshman center dorms (Phelps, Sellers, Walton, Putnam) and build new ones on West campus across from the bubble.

2. Within this new dorm complex put the best dining eatery on campus so that freshmen are eager to live in this complex.

3. Next to this new dorm complex build a classroom building large enough to offer a variety of introductory level classes that Freshmen often are required to take anyway.

4. Build a light rail shuttle system that connects Main campus and West campus.

This major campus improvement project would benefit athletics with accessibility of students to games that live next door without a dime allocated directly to athletics. The vacated land of the current Freshman center could be used as a green space, parking, or lay in wait for the next big project.

Dear Friends,
HuronRob is correct. As evidence, Eastern had no trouble bring in huge crowds during the Boisture and Harkema eras. Winning will bring the fans back.
I can't speak for some on this site, but I have been to other stadiums in the conference, and they are all made of concrete. If, anyone has been to Central's stadium, to me it is one of the worst looking ones out there. Western's is four blocks that are really not connected to one another, Ball State has a nice facility, but nothing to write home about.
I think some here have been brain washed about the stadium having a track. You're listening too much to the other brainless MAC posters who dump on Eastern's stadium because it has a track. As some have mentioned, there is no space to build a new stadium, and even if one takes out the track, where does that go? This post is meaningless.

Ken , you keep referring back to over 40 years ago! Boisture! That's ancient history!!! The world has changed and Rynearson is a dump! You must miss your rotary phone!

When people say winning fixes everything and people will come. 1. We'll never win consistently and 2. Even if we went undefeated, we'd still draw small crowds. There is no fan base and I personally don't know anyone who likes Rynearson Stadium! It's the worst stadium in the MAC, anyone can see that.

What do you guys expect out of a college stadium? We have plenty of seating and almost all of of it is between the goal lines. We have concessions. We have working, reasonably well maintained restrooms. We have a scoreboard. As far as I'm concerned we have everything we need.

Yes, there are better stadiums. But that costs lots of money, money that is better spent on education or not spent at all.

Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton opened a new stadium in 2011. It's very nice, but it cost $70,000,000. The team was better last year than the previous five years, but not better than the two before that. So it's difficult to say that the stadium has helped on the field since they're not back to where they were when they didn't even have one and beat CMU in the MCB.

btw, FAU's stadium is bowl shaped with two corners cut out. There are more good seats at Rynearson.

Dear Bob Wickersham,
I totally disagree with you about Rynearson being a dump. It is much better then the ones I mentioned. Do you really think Central's concrete hole in the ground is better then Rynearson?
It doesn't matter if I go back to Coach Rynearson himself. People follow, and want to watch teams that are winners, or at least have a chance of winning. Do you really think one winning season or undefeated team is going to bring in thousands of people? It will take at least two or three winning seasons to bring attendance to a constant of 15,000 or more. Unless you have fantastic teams year after year, 15,000 is what most of the rest of the league averages for their home games. Personally I don't give a rat's behind whether there are 2,000 or more fans sitting on the visitors side. We can accommodate 15,000 on the home side of the field.